Six Patriots players did not practice today, including Chandler Jones, who continues to be out with an ankle injury suffered against the Colts, and both right guard Dan Connolly and right tackle Sebastian Vollmer.

By Shalise Manza Young, Globe Staff Before heading out to a chilly practice, Patriots coach Bill Belichick met with media to talk about Sunday's game against the Dolphins: On receiver Davone Bess: He's quick, he's got good speed, good hands, he's a smart route-runner, has explosive one-step quickness, he's strong. He's tough after the catch. He's obviously smart (because) he does a lot of different things, crossing routes, options routes, things like that.

On the slot receiver position and how it differs from boundary receiver: It's a different world out there. There's a lot more people involved: linebackers, safeties...and it's really important that the receiver and the quarterback see things exactly the same, when to slow down, when to speed up. It takes some work and the visual communication between those two players is more difficult; there are more variables inside, especially when you get to option routes. I think it takes a lot to play that position.

On Miami RB Reggie Bush and the challenge he presents: "He's a dynamic player; you have to know where he is on every play. He can get the ball in a lot of different ways. He has good strength for his size, he's not a fullback, but he runs with good power for his size. He can run through tackles, he can run around them, sort of like (Buffalo's C.J.) Spiller. You've got to know where he is, there's no question.

On whether he'll talk with the team about wrapping up the AFC East title this week: It is what it is. We all know that the fewer games there are, the more important they become. Each one gets bigger - 16 games is 16 games, but now there's five games left. I'm sure they'll get bigger each week as we go. We know it's a big game. Miami knows it's a big game.

On Miami center Mike Pouncey: He's good. Very good. Strong - he's a 300-pound guy but he plays stronger than that; he has good playing strength, good hand strength, good punch, he's athletic....He's a good finisher, his shotgun snaps have improved. He's one of the best centers in the league - him, (the Jets' Nick) Mangold, they're probably the best we'll face. (Buffalo's Eric) Wood is another good center in this division.

We're 3-2 at home, they're 4-2 on the road. The Patriots will either clinch the division this week, or we'll manage to delay the inevitable for a week or two more. Hopefully the Tannehill that showed up in the 4th quarter last week shows up for this game ready to play 4 quarters. If that happens, maybe we've got a shot. If not, hopefully we can keep it close.

For the second time in less than three weeks, Patriots coach Bill Belichick fielded questions about one of his players being suspended by the NFL for violating the league’s policy on performance-enhancing substances. Neither suspension, Belichick said, had to happen.

The NFL announced Monday that defensive end Jermaine Cunningham was to immediately begin a four-game suspension, so he will miss Sunday’s game at Miami, home dates with Houston and San Francisco, and the Dec. 23 game at Jacksonville. Running back Brandon Bolden has been out since Nov. 9 and is eligible to return next week. The league does not specify what substance triggers the discipline.

“Those situations are unfortunate,” Belichick said Tuesday in his weekly teleconference. “Neither one of them needed to happen, they weren’t that important, but they were violations, so they are what they are.”

Belichick was asked, as a result of Bolden’s suspension earlier this month, if he discussed the issue with the team. Cornerback Aqib Talib also has served a four-game suspension this season for violating the league’s PED policy, but it began when he was still playing for Tampa Bay.

Edelman left Thursday’s game against the Jets with a head injury . . . The Patriots are 57-15 against teams from the AFC East since 2001, but seven of the losses have been to Miami . . . Greg Gumbel and Dan Dierdorf will call Sunday’s game on CBS.

It turns out the Patriots have the top three pass droppers in the division. Pro Bowl receiver Wes Welker (seven), Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski (five) and veteran receiver Brandon Lloyd (five) are the three biggest culprits. Receiver Donald Jones (four) of the Buffalo Bills and New York Jets rookie receiver Stephen Hill (four) round out the top five in the AFC East

FOXBOROUGH — The ties to New England are unmistakable if not unbreakable for Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin. A native of Springfield, Philbin attended Worcester Academy and began his coaching career as an offensive line coach at Worcester Tech in 1986.

After leaving the area to work as offensive coordinator/line coach at Allegheny College in Pennsylvania from 1990-93, then offensive line coach at Ohio University in 1994, Philbin returned to New England.

Out of work following the Bobcats’ 0-11 season in 1994, Philbin credited Barry Gallup, then Northeastern’s athletic director and football coach, for giving him a big break — hiring him as the Huskies’ offensive coordinator and line coach in 1995.

“Barry Gallup, who is the associate AD at Boston College, was nice enough to give me a job when I was unemployed after going to Ohio University and we went a glamorous 0 for 11 and didn’t have any job,’’ Philbin recalled Wednesday in a conference call with the New England media in advance of Sunday’s home game against the Patriots.

“I had four children and my wife was pregnant, and Barry was good enough to give me a job. I loved coaching every minute there and I was the offensive coordinator and Barry was excellent to work for.

“We had a winning season [6-5], the first time I think they ever had one there in the Yankee Conference, in 1996, I want to say.’’

That led to an opportunity for a similar role at Harvard, where Philbin spent two seasons on Tim Murphy’s staff, 1997-98.

“I used to drive by Harvard every single day going to work at Northeastern, and so I cut my commute down about 10 minutes,’’ Philbin said. “Tim Murphy’s done a fantastic job there as you guys know, excellent coach and the program that he has there. I really enjoyed that experience there as well.’’

Philbin turned to coaches with whom he worked at NU and Harvard to help fill his staff with the Dolphins.

He hired Jim Turner, a Braintree native and former BC standout who worked alongside Philbin at NU, to coach the offensive line and Lou Anarumo, a former Harvard assistant head coach during Philbin’s tenure with the Crimson, as Miami’s defensive backs coach.

Philbin turned to Mike Sherman, the former Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M head coach from Northborough (who was also his English teacher at Worcester Academy), as his offensive coordinator. For a defensive coordinator, Philbin hired Kevin Coyle, the former Holy Cross defensive coordinator with whom Philbin first became acquainted while working together at Crusaders football camps.

“We’ve got quite a few guys from the region, no doubt about it,’’ Philbin said. “When I was fortunate to get this job, I knew it was going to be important to hire, No. 1, excellent coaches, but, No. 2, people I could have total trust and faith in and guys who were loyal.”